Process for stabilization of protein textiles with 4-vinyl pyridine copolymers and products produced therefrom

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING PROTEIN TEXTILE MATERIALS TO REDUCE THE SHRINKAGE THEREOF COMPRISING IMPREGNATING A PROTEIN TEXTILE MATERIAL WITH AN AQUEOUS DISPERSION CONTAINING 1 TO 20% OF WATER-INSOLUBLE, LINEAR COPOLYMER OF 3 TO 70% BY WEIGHT OF 4-VINYL PYRIDINE AND 97 TO 30% RESPECTIVELY OF COMONOMERIC MATERIAL CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (1) ESTERS OF AN ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLIC, METHACRYLIC, ITACONIC, MALEIC, FURARIC, AND CITRACONIC ACIDS AND A MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACYCLIC ALKANOLS HAVING 1 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS, CYCLOHEXANOL, CYANEOTHENOL, BENZYL ALCOHOL, AND PHENYLETHYL ALCOHOL, (2) VINYL ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS HAVING 2 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS, (3) VINYLOXETHYL ACETATE, (4) ALKYL VINYL ESTERS IN WHICH THE ALKYL GROUP HAS 2 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS, METHACRYLONITRILE, ACRYLONITRILE, ACRYAMIDE, METHACRYLAMIDE, VINYLTOLUENE, 4-CHLORO-1-VINYLNAPHTHALENE, VINYL BROMIDE, VINYL CHLORIDE, VINYLIDENE CHLORIDE, VINYLIDENE FLUORIDE, VINYLIDENE CYANIDE, 1-CHLORO1-FLUOROETHYLENE, ETHYLENE, AND STYRENE, AT LEAST SUFFICIENT OF THE COMONOMERIC MATERIAL BEING OF WATER-INSOBULIZING CHARACTER TO RENDER THE COPOLYMER WAER-INSOLUBLE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY HEATING THE IMPREGNATED TEXTILE TO A TEMPERATURE OF 212* TO 700*F. UNTIL THE FABRIC SHOWS SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION OF SHRINKAGE ON LAUNDERING.